City comparison
Fayetteville, NC vs Grand Rapids, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Grand Rapids, MI are 3.9% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $103,900 in Grand Rapids, MI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,278 a month in Grand Rapids, MI versus $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI and 18% in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $518 a year higher in Grand Rapids, MI than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.2% moving from Fayetteville, NC to Grand Rapids, MI ($111,147 → $106,437), while prices change by +3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.8% in real buying power.
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
- Grand Rapids, MI: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Grand Rapids, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.0 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,879 in Grand Rapids | $96,266 in Fayetteville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,278/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,620 | $47,570 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fayetteville, NC and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fayetteville | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.1 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 93.8 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 92.0 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fayetteville, NC → Grand Rapids, MI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$518/yr.
57 Fair offer
Grand Rapids, MI → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$518/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fayetteville, NC is in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC pay area; Grand Rapids, MI is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Fayetteville, NC to Grand Rapids, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fayetteville, NC | Grand Rapids, MI | Real change, Fayetteville → Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,453 | $61,722 | −7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,983 | $74,678 | −7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,468 | $89,508 | −7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,147 | $106,437 | −7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,342 | $125,776 | −7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fayetteville, NC | Grand Rapids, MI | Grand Rapids pay in Fayetteville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $54,350 | $61,900 | $59,588 (+9.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,900 | $107,520 | $103,505 (−15.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,560 | $76,270 | $73,422 (−6.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,060 | $83,920 | $80,786 (−2.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.